Xie Xuanchen’s face was pale, and the color on his lips was almost non-existent: “I can’t even walk two steps now. I’m no different from a cripple. What’s the difference between opening and closing the lock”
“Why isn’t there a difference.” Mu Mingtang slowly sat on the foot rest, her ruqun spread out on the ground like a begonia, it was brightly colored.
“You just woke up, that’s why you’re weak, and you’ll slowly grow stronger.” She said as she smiled fakely, “I think that even if you’re weak now, you’re still stronger than many people. Such a heavy chain, I couldn’t even hold it with both my hands, you could lift it up with just one hand.”
This kind of comfort was way too weak. Xie Xuanchen twitched the corners of his lips and said: “You can say it this way, if you looked through an ordinary person’s perspective, my body seems to be doing just fine. However, compared to my previous times, I’m doing far worse. “
Mu Mingtang actually understood him. The tiger and the rabbit were not on the same evaluation standard from the very beginning. Xie Xuanchen was once famous, everyone called him the God of War. Everyone was keen to criticize the gifted ones, and now he has fallen, the public harshly criticized him for it, he had to take on much more than what an ordinary person had to go through.
Especially Xie Xuanchen himself. He knows best of how he used to be, but now he was so weak that he needed her help to even walk, it was the hardest pill for him to swallow. Mu Mingtang was speechless, whatever she said now would seem weak. Mu Mingtang stood up, took away the cup, she covered Xie Xuanchen with a blanket again and said: “I have never believed in destiny ever since I was a child, that your destiny will decide your life for you, if I had a say, people who are capable, wherever they are, they’ll survive. A gifted child is better than so many others, it isn’t a coincidence, when the child grows up, if he’s willing, he is still capable.”
Xie Xuanchen didn’t answer. He looked extremely tired and closed his eyes. Mu Mingtang didn’t leave, she stayed for a while, after watching Xie Xuanchen fall asleep peacefully, she quietly tucked Xie Xuanchen under his blanket.
Xie Xuanchen seemed to be asleep, he was completely unresponsive. Mu Mingtang felt that Xie Xuanchen’s attitude towards life and death was very contradictory. When he was in a coma, he noticed that there was something wrong with the porridge, he would rather starve to death than drink the porridge. But after he woke up, he seemed certain that he was going to die.
She heard that his mother was killed by Emperor Gong of the late Jin Dynasty, and his father also died a strange death. His trusted subordinates, vice officials were suspected to be killed by him. The dignified general pointed his sword at his fellow comrades, who once fought side by side. Xie Xuanchen must have felt a deep sense of guilt. Hence, his instincts were struggling to survive, but his mind couldn’t accept himself being this way.
Upon looking at this familiar yet distant face, Mu Mingtang couldn’t help but whisper: “You are capable of keeping the enemies away and keeping the capital in peace, that’s why you’re worthy of the title of the Marquis of Wu’an. Now, our enemies, the barbarians are up north, Tubo is in the west, Dali is in the south, and even further, there’s the Uighurs and Xixia, we’re surrounded by powerful enemies waiting in sight, and after the Sixteen States of Youyun was cut out, they’re still under the territory of the other clans. Although the emperor encourages the importance of being an intellect, but he stresses on civil matters and neglects the military aspect, he’s unable to govern the country to prosper, the areas outside of the capital are still being neglected. The Ye Dynasty needs you, the world needs you.”
Xie Xuanchen shut his eyes quietly, he didn’t give any response, he seemed to have fallen asleep. Mu Mingtang paused for a while, and said softly: “I need you too. I offended Jiang Mingwei. Once I’m left alone, she’ll never let me go. It’s very rare for me to get a chance to lift my head high proudly, if I was hit down now, it would be so embarrassing.”
Mu Mingtang choked suddenly, she tilted her head to dry her tears, and whispered: “When there’s a will, there’s a way. Just stand up again when you fall. You’ve always been the hero in my heart who was able to turn the tides on your own, and I’ll always stay by your side.”